


Tardis Full of Bras

by ChewiesGirl (madametango)



Category: Cranford - All Media Types, Doctor Who (2005), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: 19th Century, Adventure, Doctor Who/Thor/Cranfordmashup, F/M, Humour, Loki is blonde with curls, Love/Hate, Miss Mattie is kickass, Other, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, can't really explain this, the doctor is a woman in a bonnet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-29 04:07:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12622832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madametango/pseuds/ChewiesGirl
Summary: Loki the Norse God of Mischief is missing and there is only one man for the job and she's a woman - the 13th Doctor! When work on the new railway uncovers a mysterious glowing stone and then villagers of the small Cheshire town of Cranford start disappearing Loki and The Doctor must team up in 1844 and go undercover to solve the mystery before more villagers disappear and the whole world implodes.This is a tale of time travel, mischief, intrigue, and corsetry!!





	1. Chapter 1

THE MISPLACED DEMI-GOD

Christmas

1844

Cranford, Cheshire

A lightning bolt flashes connecting with the earth violently – a strange circle is suddenly embedded on the ground near the new railway construction site.

A dog barks.

A dark figure disappears into the night.

In the shadows a second figure lurks, watching, seeing all, but saying nothing. This was a complication, a complication he didn't need, but like all complications, it could be dealt with yes even this mischief-maker could be dealt with.

Christmas

2019

A park, London, England

It was really altogether too cold to be sat here on Hampstead Heath on a bench on 23rd of December but something was wrong, that's what the Tardis had obviously thought – dumping the Doctor here unceremoniously ten minutes earlier.

She'd been heading to Barcelona – not the city – the planet. But that finicky blue box had brought her here – now. Two days out from the holiday she was avoiding.

Two days out from Christmas.

The Doctor never did Christmas – not if she could help it.

Not ever.

Sure, there had been a few she had celebrated over the past 2000 years but living in a town called Christmas for a Millennia had made the thought of marking the day even more unappealing in recent times.

At least here in 2019 it wasn't a formal occasion – no fancy scarves, waistcoats, and long-coats – she wasn't that man anymore. Hell now, thanks to this regeneration, if she had a "traditional" Christmas somewhere in the past she'd be expected to wear long dresses, bonnets and, heaven forbid – corsets. No, the Doctor had never been one for corsets – okay there had been that one regeneration, but she didn't talk about him.

No, if she had to do Christmas, she'd do it sat in front of the telly watching the Eastenders special, eating a turkey vindaloo with her latest companion. Or home in the Tardis, bra off, feet up, slippers on – a rare day off.

Yes, that was it.

This year the Doctor would have a day off. No adventures in space and time – not unless they were on Netflix.

Her Christmas was sorted and nothing was going to change that!

Nothing!

Bang, Flash, Boom.

Except that.

Lightning flashed and thunder rolled drawing the Doctor from her thoughts and her chip buttie.

"Odd, very odd indeed," she said to no-one in particular. Lightning and Thunder weren't usually that strange but when the sun was out and the sky was oddly clear, they were very peculiar indeed.

However not as peculiar as the armor-clad Norse warrior that was now stood in front of her on the Heath no less.

"Doctor – I'm Thor of Asgard – I need your help – Loki's gone missing and I was told you were the....," Thor looked at her then, his eyes wide. Had he got the wrong person? He'd been expecting some grizzled old man from Loki's description but Mjolnir had brought him here – to her – a brown-eyed blonde who was most definitely not old and decidedly unmale.

"Man, to help," he finished.

"Sorry mam – I must have locked on to the wrong signal," he said turning away.

The Doctor smiled – this was happening to her a lot in this regeneration.

"If you are looking for the Doctor I'm him – well her this time – never know quite what you're going to get," she said standing up and offering the Prince of planet Asgard her hand. He towered over her 5'6 frame – it wasn't the shortest she'd been, not by a long shot, but next to the 6'4 man mountain that was the imposing, bearded and armor-clad Asgardian the Doctor did look diminutive. Not that height had ever stopped the Timelord before.

Despite his stature, Thor suddenly looked like a wide-eyed little boy in a man suit.

"Shapeshifter?" he asked in a shocked tone, was she like Loki – was that why he'd insisted on contacting the Doctor if they lost contact?

"Timelord," she deadpanned back to him and recognition flashed in Thor's eyes. He'd heard of the Timelords, not a race to be trifled with not even by the Aesir – who themselves were considered by many to be gods, or at the very least demi-gods – no these Timelords were truly powerful beings. Not that this one looked too worrisome – she was small, blonde and curvaceous – some would say pretty or even beautiful. But Thor was a seasoned warrior, he knew better than to judge a book by its cover, that she was much more than she seemed.

"How can I help," the Timelord asked sitting back down and taking a bite out of her rapidly cooling buttie nonchalantly.

Thor plonked himself on the bench beside her. He hardly fit and almost knocked her off the bench with the vigor but she seemed unfazed quietly finishing her sandwich and trying not to get covered in gravy (again).

"My brother Loki believed he had found the last infinity stone here on Midgard – Earth," he said watching the petite woman work her way through her strange nourishment.

"He followed the signal to Chee Shire and he had been checking in but I haven't heard from in a few days," he added running has hand through his close-cropped blonde hair.

"So, you've lost the God of Mischief?" she asked finishing off her food and tossing the wrapper nonchalantly in the nearby bin with a shot Michael Jordan would be proud of.

"You've lost more than six-foot worth of frost giant?" she asked turning back to him. He nodded sheepishly.

"Bit careless, isn't it?? Have you checked down the back of the sofa?" she teased.

Thor laughed.

"He said you were a feisty one, no but Doctor I am worried about him he may be a mage, a skilled fighter and a pain in the arse, but I still worry about him and he promised me he'd check in," Thor said seriously, running his hand through his hair again.

"So where is he – surely you can find him yourself?" the Doctor said turning to look at the Asgardian properly.

"You see that's the problem Doctor – it's not so much where as when!"


	2. Good God Almighty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Thor and Corsetry!!

"What on earth is he doing in Cheshire in 1844?" the Doctor said as she led Thor to the Tardis.

She thought Loki would have wandered into the middle ages or somewhere in the 22nd Century when Cheshire was an important intergalactic spaceport – but the Victorian Era Britain shocked her. That really didn't seem like the mischievous "God's" style. Ii was all too buttoned down and repressed for a creature known in some circles as the god of fire, mischief, and sex. Though Marvel would have you believe that he was a misunderstood mama's boy. Complex creature Loki – but a damned fine double's tennis partner – when he didn't cheat.

"The stones call to him and we only have one to find, the soul stone. He thinks it's there and then – he err borrowed the Eye of Agamotto from Strange and disappeared into the past before I could stop him," Thor said.

"He did leave me a note though and he's been flashing back in every couple of days but that was a week ago," he added as they arrived outside the Tardis.

"Home sweet home," the Doctor said opening the door with a flourish, smiling a knowing smile before looking expectantly at the Asgardian prince who walked in and looked around. She'd heard it all before but she'd humour him.

"Smaller than I expected," he said at last, dismissively walking around the console a couple of times and running his hands across the desk.

The Tardis made a noise that could have been mistaken for an hurrumph if she'd been human but instead was more of a wheezing sound.

But the doctor was indignant enough for the both of them. Okay, she'd thought she'd heard it all before but not that. Sure, Asgard was big and grand and golden but the Tardis – well she something special – not to be dismissed so offhandedly.

"A bit of that going about," the Doctor retaliated, running her eyes over the Asgardian stopping and throwing a pointed look towards his groin.

Thor rolled his eyes and laughed.

"It's a fine ship Doctor," he offered conciliatorily hanging up Molijnar on the coat rack near the door. The Tardis made a smug sound – she was worthy!

The Doctor laughed lightly, accepting the olive branch, wise move – Asgardian man-mountain or not, Thor didn't want to upset the Tardis, you did that at your peril, the Doctor had learned that lesson the hard way. She stroked her ship reassuringly moving the conversation back to the missing demi-god.

"So, you think he's met with foul play in Victorian Cheshire?" she asked trying not to scoff, he was a mage, a shape-shifter and frost giant (albeit a bit on the height challenged side) and Cheshire was peopled by farmers and ladies in bonnets, it felt like a silly prospect if she was honest but her guest seemed deadly serious.

"Aye – he was worried he was being watched, I worry that it's Thanos – he has bested him before," he added earnestly. The Doctor nodded, the thought of Thanos and Loki waging war in Cheshire back in the early Victorian era was a pretty horrifying thought.

"Strange hasn't gone looking for him?"

Thor sighed.

"Strange doesn't know the eye is missing yet," he said sheepishly.

The Doctor rolled her eyes.

"He made a copy," she said.

Thor nodded.

"He made a copy," he said ruefully.

"Strange is not going to be happy when he realizes, there seems to be a lot of rivalry between them."

The Doctor laughed.

"Wizard envy more like!"

"Okay, I'll go – but I'll need to make some preparations and I'll need your help before I leave.

"I'm coming with you," he said matter-of-factly.

"I work alone," the Doctor replied.

"That is not what I heard my-lady," he countered.

"I'm a new woman – I can blend in, I doubt the same could be said for you," she said looking over his imposing figure as she led him out of the console room and down one of the Tardis corridors to the dressing room.

"Loki seems to have managed it," he said pouting like a small boy who'd been told he couldn't go outside to play.

"Loki's a shapeshifter and a mage he could be anyone, you could have your own postcode," she said grabbing an outfit off the rack and moving behind the modesty screen.

"If it is Thanos you will need all the help you can get," he said trying not look towards the screen as more and more of the Doctor's garments were slung across it. His eyes bugged as her most womanly apparel hit the top of the screen.

"If it is Thanos he will be able to detect you before you even get there – anyway I don't know If Mjolnir can go through the space vortex, its energy is different to that of the Tardis," she said as she struggled into the knee length chemise that had to be worn under the dress she'd chosen. She'd much preferred to go commando as she had in her previous regenerations but society norms and gravity (and at least one bruised chin when she'd tried to run without support) had dictated otherwise. The Doctor picked up the infernal corset and stepped into it before stepping out from behind the screen.

"Now tighten me up my dear boy and I'll be on my way," she said standing in front of him.

Thor coughed loudly and went the fetching colour of his cape. THIS was not what he'd been expecting when he'd come searching for the Doctor an hour earlier. And he could now pretty much vouch for the fact that this Timelord was currently not the man Loki was expecting. She was wearing very little and her shape was visible through the thin white garment. Around her waist, she had some sort of strange armor.

"That's not going to protect you from much," he said looking at the weird garment in puzzlement.

"You'd be surprised," she laughed positioning it better and holding it to her body.

"Just pull the strings until I tell you when to stop."

Thor eyed the corset strings dubiously before gingerly grabbing them and pulling them with a little more gusto than needed. They broke and the force sent the doctor flying head first into the modesty screen while Thor ended up in a pile of coats and hats with a fez dropping on his head.

The Doctor sighed and grabbed another corset from the rack. This was going to be a long day, a very long day, 180 years long too long.


	3. A god among men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is making a life for himself in the past but he's no closer to solving the mystery that drew him there in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back - I suppose I wanted to get a feel for the new doctor and I've been writing my own fiction.

Chapter Three – A God Among Men  
WILLIAM Buxton yawned and stretched running his fingers through his unruly blonde curls.  
Getting up at this time of day was barbaric not that he was a stranger to rolling out of bed as the dawn broke, he HAD gone to boarding school after all. But now in his 20s he’d hoped to have outgrown such an odious habit.  
However here he was answering the maid’s knock on the door and dragging himself from a warm bed into the crisp cool November air.  
He clearly needed his head examined.  
But that’s what he got for working on the railway he supposed – well that’s what his father was fond of saying. Yes, he’d get no sympathy from his father – the old man would insist that if he had become a politician as planned then at least he could have stayed abed until a more acceptable hour  
William sighed, shivering involuntarily as his warm feet hit the cold polished wooden floor and a draft from somewhere in the room blew around his bare legs and straight up his cotton nightshirt.  
Cranford, Cheshire, England, 1844 just a handful of years into the rein of Queen Victoria was a barbaric place he thought to himself as he stretched again, padded over the door and opened it just enough to fetch the large pitcher and bowl set left on the landing. He dragged the ornately decorated porcelain onto the dresser and poured the warm water from the jug to the bowl for his morning ablutions.  
William sighed as he went through his bracing morning routine, washing his face and hands in the slightly beige water he was now becoming more accustomed too.  
It was all a long way from what he was used to, from Asgard and even from modern earth but until he found out what or who was kidnapping people from this quiet rural idyll and causing late night disruptions at the local quarry, he wasn’t going anywhere.  
He looked up into the murky mirror – good for it’s time – and looked over his features. It was still jarring and see the man reflected there. The man starring back at him was young and fresh-faced with a shock of blonde curls.   
While the faceshape was the same (handy for shaving) the man in this mirror was not the man he was used to – not by a long way. It had taken a little to get use to at first – blue eyes – not green, blonde curls not raven black, steel rod straight hair but this was the way it had to be for the time being.   
His Seidr tingled, it was hard maintaining this illusion long-term but necessary. He didn’t think the people of Cranford, Cheshire, England, Midgard – would really take to a leather-armour-clad Norse demi-god of Mischief wandering through their midst. There was already another alien here, he could sense them, but finding them and more importantly finding out just what they wanted, was another matter.   
His cover as William Buxton, son of the local wealthy landowner, and young engineer helping on the railway – was a good one. It allowed him the freedom to interact with the locals, to befriend them and find out what they knew (which he discovered wasn’t a lot about the outside world but everything about their own). They were simple folk, but they were also very eagle eyed – especially Miss Mattie and her cohorts. Loki already had a soft spot for the sharp-minded Mattie, an older woman with kind eyes and heart and fierce intelligence, who reminded him of his own mother in many ways. And then there was William’s disapproving father – yes Loki was use to them, though at least the older Buxton seemed to care what his offspring did. Though like his own – adopted – father that care only extended to what was in the older man’s interest.   
Yes it had been easy to slip into the role of William – a natural fit.  
The real William was currently safely working on engineering projects in what was the new world in this time. New York to be exact – well before some idiot had let a whole alien army lose on it.   
Loki was willing to admit now that wasn’t his finest hour.   
If pushed.  
So while William Buxton created the new world, Loki Odinson was trying to work out what was happening to his old one.   
And it was hard work.   
Someone was very obviously searching the quarry for something, something important, very important.   
Loki had a hunch, an educated guess really.   
It had to be an infinity stone. Well in his mind it had to be.  
But why was it hidden a quarry in 1844 rural Britain? Well, that was beyond even his brilliant mind at the moment but he was working on it.  
What he needed now was another brilliant mind and a second pair of hands to help with this investigation.   
He just hoped his oaf of a brother had got the right doctor at the right time.   
Tricky business dealing with Timelords – essentially the same man despite the changing faces but some incarnations were better to work with than others.   
Huge brain – hair of an idiot – but the only person that could help him right now. And, for once, Loki was willing to admit he needed help. More and more of his new friends were disappearing and time was running out.   
He’d first come here close to Christmas only to find a quarry blown to smithereens and a decimated town and so he recalibrated the eye and tried again – arriving back in Cranford July but that had been three months ago – he had six weeks left and he was still no closer to solving this mystery.  
He needed to call a Doctor.  
And soon!!

**Author's Note:**

> Long before Tom Hiddleston became Loki or Jodie Whittaker took on the mantle of 13th Doctor they were in a period piece called "Return to Cranford" or "The Cranford Christmas Special" (based on the characters from Elizabeth Gaskell's novellas). 
> 
> Set in Cheshire, England in 1844, the show had the pair playing star-crossed lovers. When Jodie was named as the Doctor my strange brain went back to William and Peggy and what started as a joke won't leave me alone and now is some weird mash-up between Marvel's Loki, Doctor Who and Cranford. The title comes from one of the many comments in a well-known newspaper about why a female doctor is a bad idea - she isn't by the way. It was about time and more than that Jodie Whittaker is a talented actress!!!!!
> 
> Apologies to everyone!!!
> 
> This is a bit of fun - please treat as such.


End file.
